Fort Lauderdale News from Fort Lauderdale, Florida • Page 170

6K Fort Lauderdale New and Sun-Srntincl, Sunday, November 10, 1974 'Karen Coolman: First Broward Woman Legislator other not to share what the isn't interested in." it's not too late to dress up vour nome top we T4 Her husband, who faithfully stumped for his wife, said, "I'm very happy she won." As for the separation, he added, "She'll be up there on Mondays and back on Fridays, which is, as I understand it, typical. In my work I'm gone at least that much." Astrologists might say her election was in the stars. Co-incidentally, Mrs. Coolman's birthday is Aug. 26, the anniversary of women's suffrage.

1 4 There's still time -to wort with our lovely fabrfo secords -for. dra, slipcover and and up to 5o wfth seconds'. Come see-. Custom workrcwis reeorvwended. woman in our literature." Mrs.

Coolman, in fact, seems to resent questions which wouldn't be asked of a man or those articles which include "feminine" information such as her height and weight, for example. "Do they print that for male politicians?" Mrs. Coolman asks. She predicts Florida may have a woman lieutenant governor in four years. As for her own aspirations in politics, she said, "I hope to stay in politics and become better at it." Mrs.

Coolman took office at midnight of election day and will remain in the public eye until after some mid-November organizational meetings in Tallahassee. Then she said she plans to retreat briefly to Gainesville, where the parents of her husband, Charles Douglas Coolman, 28, a landscape architecture and Vietnam veteran, own a beach house. "We're exhausted," she admitted after her victory. At the end of the month, the mother of two sons Clay, 4, who attends nursery school, and Corey, 2 will receive the first paycheck of her 71 Mfc tjM. Ml TAwiy liMHk, Mk ier "friiilr mi ji j.

Campaigning was a family affair. "Even Clay helped me with leafletting," she said. But how much does he really understand ahout Mommy going away to a place called Tallahassee? "Probably as much as any child his age is capable of understanding," she replied. "He's been to Tallahassee with me." Mrs. Coolman said she expects to rent an apartment at the state capital while the legislature is in session The boys will remain with their father, and Mrs.

Coolman said she will commute on weekends. She doesn't believe the schedule will be too disruptive to family life. "I'm sure many of the male legislator1 in Tallahassee have children and wives who work," she countered. Constant separation during the legislative session from roughly March until July won't cause her six-year marriage any great hassles, she believes. "I'm sure we'll be at each other's throats now end then.

That's natural in every marriage. We just have to come to terms with each of our rights to be an individual, and give each other the freedom A mm. 20 s.DiHay,mafi9tw54 tez- Karen Coolman surprise and delight at election victory. alumna $12,000 annual salary. (Continued from Page 1) She campaigned on a plat- form of state guidelines and standards for land use and en- vironmental planning vath en- forcement power given to local boards.

She also favored '-l support of state medical assis-s tance to the elderly and land- lord-tenant legislation. Projects she plans to pursue in Tallahassee include a con- sideration of a statewide com- prehensive health insurance 'I program. "Six other states have pro- grams and I will see that they are investigated, compared presented to the people for their reaction," she said. "I'm not optimistic about such a plan being passed at the federal level any time soon. This is a very pressing need requiring immediate at-tention." She admits being a woman in 1974 aided her election.

"I think it did help this year. In fact, strangers came up to me on the street and they were voting for every woman running for office. I think many people disgusted with politics as usual and wanted something different." Electoral disadvantages, however, also accompanied womanhood, she "I think the fact I didn't do better in the election than I did is because I am a woman. Very, very conservative peo-ple might have voted for me if I had been a man." Mrs. Coolman is a strong women's rights advocate and a member of the National Or- ganization for Women, serving on its executive board, and the National Women's Political Caucus.

Until last summer, she worked with the Women's Awareness Clinic, a women's medical center in South Broward, but said she Is no longer associated with it. She also founded the Rape Crisis Canter and the Broward County Women Against Rape (WAR). In fact it was her feminist (or, as she sometimes prefers to describe it, her interests that inspired her initial visit to the state capital two years ago. "My first impression was that the atmosphere was like a fraternity weekend," she said. "But perhaps that impression was colored by a naivete as to how much vheel-ing and dealing goes on in the Hilton bar." 'Ifetf 'rlital PLANTATION raMS II 111 SEERS wi Mil! iiM CURTAIN INSERTS I ItJ Nil Sgliil BRASS GRILL Tffi '1 Ji; -J STAINED GLASS i II! jsffS-y PLASTIC INSERTS HiE 1-41- When Mrs.

Coolman was asked where she stands in the political spectrum, she seemed to agree with Miss Athanasakos, replying, "I hate labels." Requested to define "political women," Mrs. Coolman answered quickly, "The same thing as a political man." She said, "I feel good about being a woman. I'm not hung up about being feminine. What's femininity anyway?" Although detractors of women candidates allege that femininity keeps the women from being taken seriously, Patricia Holmes, Mrs. Cool-man's campaign manager, said, "We tried to portray Karen as a young, intelligent I Any Stylo Any Finish nowaxYM nfbl FLOORS I gjT reg.

49Q 'll' III YD. Y'PI3 CUSTOM UKAftKltb BEDSPREADS been sent to the legislature from all over the state. Her election here is very healthy sign." On the other hand, Rep. Arthur Rude, R-Fort Lauderdale, who voted against the ERA, said in reaction to her election, "I hope she has more in her bag than the ERA. She seemed to have I realize she got votes be-.

cause she's a female, but I would hope she isn't aiming all her efforts at women, because she represents men too." But Mrs. Coolman said apathy on some women's issues in the legislature exists and must be eliminated. "Last March there was a seminar on rape held at which law enforcement officers and a panel of experts spoke. All the legislators had received invitations, but not one legislator or aide showed up. They all went on a trial ride, I was appalled.

I would think women would be up in arms about such a thing and men, too, for the sake of their wives and daughters." Elizabeth Athanasakos, an attorney and former Wilton Manors municipal judge who also Tan for state olfice but was defeated, s-akl, "It's about' time: we had a woman in the Miss Athanasakos, another women's rights advocate, said her opponent used the ERA to help defeat bid for the State Senate. WIDE SELECTION OF FABRICS AAA WORKMANSHIP WINDOW SHADES BLACKOUT-MOIRE- BOUCLE LAMINATED FABRIC SPECIAL OR WALLPAPER ttra WOVEN WOODS-ALUMINUM 79 RIVIERA BLINDS PANEL LITE Sun Defying ninaow treatments SHOJI Juuu in' Full size convertible bed beautiful rolled arm in your choice of either PANELS SLIDING DRAPERY PANELS ROOM DIVIDERS UNUSUAL DOOR AND 1 fiit! it 1 iWFii 1111 i mmivmmiiimm striped Herculon or white vinyl available for immediate delivery. Now only $266. (limited, quantity) WINDOW TREATMENTS CALL NOW 772-0454 BRING YOUR MEASUREMENTS TO OUR FACTORY SHOWROOM FOR ESTIMATES Come in and see one of Florida's largest selection of convertible beds large selection of dinettes, bedroom suites and bedding, recliners, wall units, dining rooms, chairs, tables, lamps and accessories all at super value prices. 3505 PERFECT FOR SLIDING PATIO DOORS NEW! VERTICAL BLINDS RIVIERA BLINDS 1st QUALITY WALLPAPER NO SECONDS ONGEPTS FOR LIVING 10 20 DISCOUNT WALLCOVERINGS HOURS: Mori.

Fri. Thurs. Closed Sunday FLOCKS-RJILS-MYLARS GRASSCLOTHS VINYLS HANDPRINTS MURALS It was then that the Norfolk, Virginia-bom woman who had been raised in Miami decided to pursue politics. She had graduated Phi Beta Kappa as an art history major at Michigan State University. "He used it in a very negative way.

But the ERA is a non-partisan issue neither liberal nor conservative as some are trying to make it. I had hoped to be the first woman from Broward in the state Senate. Unfortunately, the insinuation has been that if you're a woman running for office, you must be a women's libber representing only a portion of women, but if you are a man. you represent all THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF WALLPAPERS IN FLORIDA CONVERTIBLES or our Time Payment Plan 17 iiiTJTIii 2800 N. Fed.

Hwy. (2 blocks South of Oakland Park' Ft. Lauderdale564-6324 Lobbying for passage of the controversial Equal Rights Amendment first drew Mrs. two' And that's simply not- Coolman to Tallahassee years ago. true.

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